Restricted Choice - A practical lesson

[Tramticket]

There have been several threads on Restricted Choice recently. I thought that I would share an amusing hand from last night, where our opponents turned a triumph into a disaster by failing to follow the odds!

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sak95hk86dkqt84cq&w=s42ht432d973ck875&n=sqjt3hq97dj62cj93&e=s876haj5da5cat642&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=pp1n(Weak%20%5B12-14%5D)d(Penalties)r(Intended%20as%20a%20rescue)pp(Oops)p]399|300[/hv]

 

We were North/South and the opponents had a bidding mis-understanding - West clearly intended the redouble as the start of some sort of rescue, but East was not on the same wavelength.

 

Diamonds were led and the ace of diamonds was knocked out. Declarer played a low club to the king (dropping South's queen) and then played a low club back to .... his ace!

 

Instead of +760 for making 1NT redoubled, he scored -1,600 for going three-off. His argument that South was marked with more points on the bidding doesn't really justify not taking the club finesse.

[rhm]

Wrong forum.

 

There are at least two forums more suitable for such "amusing" hands:

 

They are called

 

"Intermediate and Advanced"

and

"Novice and Beginner"

 

There such hands might entice some interest.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[Zelandakh]

His argument that South was marked with more points on the bidding doesn't really justify not taking the club finesse.

South was marked with more points than (s)he held.

[Tramticket]

South was marked with more points than (s)he held.

 

For a penalty double of a weak NT our expectation is 16 HCP - or 15 and a good lead. The Q♣ is a negative but the diamond suit is a positive. The double is certainly up to strength.

[Fluffy]

Wrong forum.

 

There are at least two forums more suitable for such "amusing" hands:

 

They are called

 

"Intermediate and Advanced"

and

"Novice and Beginner"

 

There such hands might entice some interest.

 

Rainer Herrmann

I recomend you read the desciption of this forum

[rhm]

I recomend you read the desciption of this forum

It depends what you consider interesting.

For a beginner different deals are interesting than for seasoned tournament players (this forum) and real experts may consider yet other boards interesting.

Restricted choice may baffle a novice but a seasoned tournament player encounters it in any tournament session.

The subject has been beaten to death.

If you find this deal interesting I may have over-judged your capabilities.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[shyams]

It depends what you consider interesting.

For a beginner different deals are interesting than for seasoned tournament players (this forum) and real experts may consider yet other boards interesting.

If you find this deal interesting I may have over-judged your capabilities.

 

Rainer Herrmann

There is a PASS card in everyone's bidding box. If you did not find it interesting, but the OP sincerely posted it here because they thought it to be so, just PASS to the next thread.

[billw55]

It depends what you consider interesting.

For a beginner different deals are interesting than for seasoned tournament players (this forum) and real experts may consider yet other boards interesting.

Restricted choice may baffle a novice but a seasoned tournament player encounters it in any tournament session.

The subject has been beaten to death.

If you find this deal interesting I may have over-judged your capabilities.

 

Rainer Herrmann

I expect rudeness from some posters, but had not expected it from you.

[helene_t]

Please ....

 

"Interesting" just means that the poster finds it interesting and some other folks might as well.

 

If you don't fnd it interesting then just don't comment on it. Tastes are made to differ.

[Zelandakh]

It depends what you consider interesting.

For a beginner different deals are interesting than for seasoned tournament players (this forum) and real experts may consider yet other boards interesting.

The forum description reads: "Talk about that nasty misfit, that troublesome opener, that awful trump split here..." Does this sound like it is meant to be tailored specifically to "seasoned tournament players"? Perhaps we have overestimated your linguistic capabilities; those of the OP appear to be just fine.

[rhm]

The forum description reads: "Talk about that nasty misfit, that troublesome opener, that awful trump split here..." Does this sound like it is meant to be tailored specifically to "seasoned tournament players"? Perhaps we have overestimated your linguistic capabilities; those of the OP appear to be just fine.

It was neither a nasty misfit, nor troublesome nor an awful trump split, was it? Awful trumps splits are a bit difficult at a notrump contracts anyway.

But I will not start to question your brilliant linguistic capabilities, which undoubtedly exist

I found the deal boring and a triviality to play properly, but could see that it might be of interest to some.

I only suggested that it would better fit into other forums, which are specifically designed for people with lesser experience.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[Zelandakh]

I only suggested that it would better fit into other forums, which are specifically designed for people with lesser experience.

You have it completely the wrong way round Rainer. There is a forum designed specifically for elitist jerks elite players - the Expert Forum. Perhaps you would feel more at home concentrating your efforts there. The vast majority of the player base are in the intermediate-advanced range and it is reasonable to expect that posts in the other sections (GBD, IH, etc) to reflect that. Restricted Choice would usually be considered a topic for intermediates I think. The thread was clearly made in response to the other recent threads that were made on the subject. The OP hoped to provide something helpful to some, or at the least interesting. Whether that was successful or not I cannot say but to say that it was not in the correct forum because of its level is simply wrong.

[MrAce]

You have it completely the wrong way round Rainer. There is a forum designed specifically for elitist jerks elite players - the Expert Forum. Perhaps you would feel more at home concentrating your efforts there. The vast majority of the player base are in the intermediate-advanced range and it is reasonable to expect that posts in the other sections (GBD, IH, etc) to reflect that. Restricted Choice would usually be considered a topic for intermediates I think. The thread was clearly made in response to the other recent threads that were made on the subject. The OP hoped to provide something helpful to some, or at the least interesting. Whether that was successful or not I cannot say but to say that it was not in the correct forum because of its level is simply wrong.

 

Agree with most of what you say except using the 2 words with a strike through on them. Either say what you want to say, or do not say it at all. Saying it but putting strike through on it does not suit to the standards of Zalendakh that I know for a while now. You have much higher standard than this in my eye, Zel. You know I always admired you.

 

I am one of those in BBF who got into it with Rainer in the past. I do not think he is an elitist Jerk though. In fact, he is one of the rare people who does not worship everything the "elite players" say in forums. Not here not in BW. And despite his arrogant attitude now and then, I have seen him explaining a lot of important things, spending time and effort to teach about this game to those who seem to have lost their way and disabled themselves from seeing something that is in front of them. Especially the way he explains things about the play of a hand, is in a way that both a beginner and an expert can enjoy and understand. He does not only solve the play problems, but also explains the pattern of thoughts in a mind that leads to a winning outcome.

 

I finally accepted him the way he is with his attitude now and then. I do not even think he does it to hurt people. It's just the way he sees things and overall he is a big value for BBF and BW IMO. But I understand you and all others that attitude of Rainer or some of us other jerks like myself, who are known by regulars and accepted the way we are, does not make what we do OK, especially when newcomers are around.